Self-starter circuit for motor vehicles



July 2 1962 G. STURBOIS 3,046,408

SELF-STARTER CIRCUIT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l SAFETY 't l xsumou NORMALLY l OPEN RI 2/ II- [3 I/ 3 3 I NORMALLY 7 2; I CLOSED l STARTER k SWITCH 2 I j 1 f3 ,7 NORMALLY CLOSED R2 BATTERY;-

1 1 CHOKE 6 8 7 5 SOLENOID GENERATOR F I G.l.

STARTER MOTOR INVENT OR GEORGES STURBOIS July 24, 1962 R s 3,046,408

SELF-STARTER CIRCUIT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SAFETY SWITCH IGNITION NORIMLLY OPEN I I l J A IVOHUALLY CLOSED 22 STARTER SWITCH CHOKE SOLENOID F I G. 2 GENERATOR l STARTER MOTOR INVENTOR Georges STURBOIS ITTDRAAFYS 3,046,408 Patented July 24, 1962 has! 3,046,4(98 SELF-STARTER CIRCUET FOR MOTUR VEHICLES Georges Sturbeis, 1595 Sauve E., Montreal,

Quebec, Canada Filed Feb. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 7%,044 6 Claims. ((11. 290-67) The; present invention relates to a circuit for starting internal combustion engines of motor vehicles in response to a timing device or to a remote signal.

It is well known that during the winter, particularly in northern climates, the battery of a motor vehicle is under greatly increased strain and has a tendency to run down. Also the motor and transmission oil tend to clog if the motor vehicle is left out of use for several hours, so that the strain on the battery, when the car is started, is still further increased. One remedy for the above situation would be to start the vehicle every few hours, and to allow it to run for a few minutes, until it gets warmed up, and so as to recharge the battery to compensate for the loss of electrical energy used in starting. Such a procedure is, however, very inconvenient.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a self starter circuit which may either be remotely controlled by a radio signal, or which may include a timer designed to start the motor at predetermined intervals and keep it running for a predetermined period of time. The circuit in accordance with the invention may be built into any already existing ignition and starter circuit of motor vehicles, Without involving any major modifications.

If desired, both, a timing mechanism and a radio device may be provided for, in the circuit. If a radio device is included, it will be possible for the user of the vehicle to remotely start the engine a short time before use, so as to warm it up.

The circuit in accordance with the invention comprises basically a conventional starter circuit and an ignition circuit, a further circuit including a timer or radio operated starter switch, and a relay which is energized by closing said starter switch, said relay, when energized, being adapted to close the ignition and starter circuits. In addition the invention provides means to open the starter motor circuit once the engine has started, a safety device to prevent anyone from driving the vehicle when the engine is in automatic operation, as well as timing devices, which operate automatically to open the starter circuit in case of failure of the engine to start, allow a period of rest, and then close again the starter circuit for a second attempt, and if the engine again refuses to start, open the starter circuit permanently.

Three embodiments of circuits in accordance with the present invention are illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.

For the sake of clarity in the following description the starter circuit according to the invention will be broken up into its several component circuits, and it is understood that as the description progresses, each additional circuit is considered in combination with the whole circuit previously described. The various component circuits are indicated by numerals 18; some of the circuits have lines in common, these common lines bearing the reference numerals of all the circuits in which they are included.

The basic circuit is shown in thick lines and comprises the following component circuits:

A circuit 1, including the battery, the starter switch, and the Winding of a normally open twin contact relay R1;

An ignition circuit 2, including thhe battery, two contacts of the relay R1, a safety switch, the ignition, and a ground connection;

A starter circuit 3 including the battery, normally open contacts of relay R1 and normally closed contacts of relays R2 and R3, the starter motor, and a ground connection. The normal condition of relays R1, R2 and R3 is that in which their operating windings are not energized.

The starter switch is operated, according to the invention, by a timer (FIG. 2) adapted to close the switch for a period of about thirty minutes at intervals of a few hours, or by a remote controlled radio signal (FIG. 1). Timers and radio devices for the purposes of the invention are commonly available and details of the construction of such devices are outside the scope of the present invention.

When the starter switch closes the circuit 1, the relay R1 is energized, and it closes in turn the igniiton circuit 2 and the starter circuit 3, thus operating the starter motor and starting the engine.

The basic circuit further comprises a component circuit, including the generator, and the winding of the previously mentioned relay R2. When the engine starts, the generator is operated, and it energizes the relay R2, thus opening the circuit 3 and stopping the operation of the starter motor.

A safety switch is provided in the ignition circuit 2. This safety switch is located on the steering mechanism of the vehicle, or on the transmission shift lever, and is adapted to open the ignition circuit if an unauthorised person attempts to drive the vehicle, thus necessarily having to turn the steering wheel or shift the transmission lever. It is noted that a conventional circuit (not shown) including the battery, the ignition, the starter motor and a key operated switch is provided to enable manual starting of the engine during normal operation of the motor vehicle. Thus the safety switch is only active during automatic starting and does not affect the normal operation of the vehicle.

The starter circuit 3 comprises a groundedbranch which includes the winding of a solenoid which operates the choke during the operation of the starter motor. Once the engine has started, the starter circuit is opened as described above, and the choke solenoid is de-energized, so that the choke returns to its normal position, to avoid flooding of the engine.

It will be seen that, when using the above described basic circuit including component circuits 1, 2, 3, and 4, should the engine fail to start, the starter motor will operate continuously, as long as the starter switch is closed. This would have an adverse eifect, in that the battery would be run down instead of being recharged. In order to avoid this, additional circuits 5 and 6 may be used.

Circuit 5 includes the battery, the starter switch, the contacts of a normally open thermostatic switch T1, and the winding of a normally closed relay R3 having its contacts included in the starter circuit 3.

Circuit 6 includes the battery, the starter switch, and the filament of the thermostatic switch T1. The circuits 5 and 6 operate together as follows: when the starter switch is closed, the filamentof the thermostatic T1 gradually heats up, until its contacts close, energizing the relay R3 and opening the starter circuit so as to stop the operation of the starter motor. The filament of the thermostatic switch T1 is adapted to heat in about 10 seconds. With the above arrangement, if the engine does not start in 10 seconds, the starter circuit is opened permanently.

It will be seen that when using circuits 5 and 6, only one attempt is made to start the engine. It is well known however, that under adverse conditions, an internal combustion engine may fail to start on the first attempt, but

osa es may easily start on the second attempt, it a short period of rest is provided between the two attempts.

To achieve this result a circuit 7 (FIG. 1) may be provided; in this case the relay R3 will be a double acting relay. The circuit 7 includes the battery, the starter switch, the filament of a second thermostatic switch T2, and the alternative contacts of the relay R3. The thermostatic switch T2 has normally closed contacts which are included in the circuit 6, and the filament of the switch T2 is adapted to heat and open the contacts in approximately seconds.

The combined circuits 5, 6 and 7 operate as follows: when the starter switch is closed, the filament of thermostatic switch Tl heats up, and in about ten seconds closes the contact of thermostatic switch T1, energizing the relay R3 and opening the circuit 3. As the relay R3 opens the circuit 3, it closes the circuit 7, and in another ten seconds the filament of the thermostatic switch T2 heats up, thus causing opening of the contacts of thermostatic switch T2 and opening of circuit 6; this causes cooling of the filament of thermostatic switch T1 and consequently opening of the contacts of thermostatic switch T1, and de-energizing of the relay R3, which subsequently closes the circuit 3 and again opens the circuit 7. As soon as the circuit 7 is opened, the filament of the thermostatic switch T2 cools, the contacts of switch T2 close, the circuit 6 closes, the filament of thermostatic switch T1 heats up, the contacts of thermostatic switch T1 close and the clay R3 is again energized to open the starter circuit 3. The above operations are repeated in a cycle, as long as the starter switch is closed, with the result that the starter circuit 3 is alternately closed and opened for ten second intervals.

The main disadvantage of the combination of circuits 1-7as described above is that, if the engine fails to start on any of the successive attempts, asubstantial wearing down of the battery will result. It is therefore preferable to stop the cycle of alternate closing and opening of the circuit 3 after a predetermined period of time.

This is achieved in accordance with the invention by the provision of a last circuit 8 (FIG. 2), which includes the battery, the starter switch, and the filament of a further normally closed thermostatic switch T3. The contacts of thermostatic switch T3 are included in the circuit 7. The thermostatic switch T3 is adapted to heat up and open in a time period greater than the sum of time periods required for the heating of thermostatic switches T1 and T2. Preferably the time of switch T3 will be equal to the sum of twice the time of switch T1 plus once the time of switch T2; namely if switches T1 and T2 are 10 second switches, T3 will be a 30 second switch. In this case, the relay R3 will be energized during 10 seconds after the starter switch is closed, giving a 10 second operation of the starter motor; subsequently relay R3 is energized, opening the starter circuit 3, and giving the battery 2. 10 second rest, the time required for heating of thermostatic switch T2, and subsequent opening of the circuit 6 and cooling of switch T1. Thereafter, switch T1 opens, to close again the circuit 3 and operate the starter motor for another ten seconds; at the end of this last 10 second interval, namely thirty seconds after the starter switch has been closed, the thermostatic switch T3 heats up, its contacts open, thus opening the circuit 7 and keeping thermostatic switch T2 permanently closed. As a result the thermostatic switch T1 is continuously heated, its contacts are oontinuouslyikept closed, and the relay R3 is continuously energized, so as to permanently open the circuit 3.

It will be noted that, if the engine fails to start after the second attempt, the filaments of thermostatic switches T1 and T3 are continuously heated as long as the starter switch is closed; this however, is of no consequence, be-

cause the current consumed by such switches is of negligible value.

The embodiments illustrated and described above, are given only by way of example, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an engine starting system having a self-starter circuit including a battery, a starter switch, a starter motor and means operated by said engine to open said circuit when said engine has been started; means for alternately opening and closing said circuit to provide cranking periods of said starter motor alternating with rest periods, said last mentioned means comprising a double acting relay having a winding and two pairs of contacts, one of said pairs of contacts being closed in the deenergized condition of said relay and being included in said self-starter circuit, a first thermostatic switch having a filament and a pair of contacts open in the cold condition of said filament, a second thermostatic switch having a filament and a pair of contacts closed in the cold condition of said filament, a first circuit including said battery, said starter switch, said contacts of said first thermostatic switch and said Winding of said relay, a second circuit including said battery, said starter switch, said filament of said first thermostatic switch and said contacts of said second thermostatic switch, and a third circuit including said battery, said starter switch, said filament of said second thermostatic switch and the other of said pairs of contacts of said relay which pair is open in the deenergized condition of said relay.

2. in an engine starting system according to claim 1, a third thermostatic switch having a filament and a pair of contacts closed in the cold condition of said filament, said pair of contacts of said third thermostatic switch being included in said third circuit, a fourth circuit including said battery, said starter switch and the filament of said third thermostatic switch; said filament of said third thermostatic switch being arranged to heat to switch opening temperature in a time period greater than the sum of time periods required to heat the filaments of said first and of said second thermostatic switches.

3. In an engine starting system according to claim 1, used in association with a motor vehicle, an ignition circuit including said battery, said starter switch, and ignition means and a safety switch, said safety switch being opened by operation of a vital vehicle drive controlling device.

4. In an engine starting system according to claim 1, a timing device connected to said starter switch to close the same.

5. In an engine starting system according to claim 1, a remote controlled radio device connected to said starter switch to close the same.

6. In an engine starting system according to claim 1, used in association with a motor vehicle having a choke; a solenoid connected to said choke to operate the same, said solenoid having a winding included in said starter circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,776,683 Larkin Sept. 23, 1930 1,981,859 Frese Nov. 27, 1934 1,988,958 Patterson Jan. 22, 1935 2,197,726 Johnson Apr. 16, 1940 2,374,251 Wallace Apr. 24, 1945 2,535,007 Appleton Dec. 19, 1950 2,544,955 Harvelson Mar. 13, 1951 2,579,958 Perhats Dec. 25, 1951 2,606,298 Merritt Aug. 5, 1952 2,710,926 Charles June 14, 1955 2,887,588 Williams May 19, 1959 

